I know I’m not the only one who likes to rewatch the Thanksgiving episodes of Gilmore Girls every November! So, I’ve compiled a mini watch list for super fans, whether you’re taking the Rory Gilmore reading challenge with us to read the books on Gilmore Girls or just getting into the spirit of my favorite holiday in Stars Hollow fashion.
Save or share the graphic below for quick reference, and keep reading if you need help remembering the plots.
Gilmore Girls Episodes Featuring Thanksgiving
Though Gilmore Girls feels like a Thanksgiving-heavy TV series, there are actually only two episodes that feature this fall food holiday in the Gilmore Girls universe. Perhaps we think otherwise because the most iconic one of all contains four separate versions of the holiday!
Season 3, Episode 9 “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving”
“It’s not too much food. This is what we’ve been training for our whole lives. This is our destiny. This is our finest hour.” – Lorelai Gilmore, on Thanksgiving
“A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving” is one of mine, and so many fans, favorite episodes of Gilmore Girls. It perfectly blends maximum amounts of fall, food, and family into one. That’s kind of the premise of the entire show, isn’t it?!
Here, Lorelai and Rory juggle four very different dinners, from tofurkey at the Kims’ to deep-fried everything at Sookie’s and a diner meal with Luke, all culminating with family tension at Richard’s and Emily’s when Rory admits she applied to Yale.
Season 6, Episode 10 “He’s Slippin’ Em Bread, Dig?”
At Thanksgiving, the Gilmores finally find some peace after months of tension, though Luke struggles with how to tell Lorelai about his daughter, April. Times have certainly changed! Here, we also get a taste of the holiday at the Huntzbergers and the Inn. And, Liz relies on Martha Stewart for holiday cooking.
Bonus Episodes in the Spirit of Thanksgiving
Season 1, Episode 7 “Kiss and Tell”
In “Kiss and Tell,” when Dean and Rory first kiss at Doose’s Market, she and Lane famously gossip about “the kiss” while dressed as pilgrims amidst a cornucopia of pumpkins at the Autumn Harvest festival. This scene kicks up the fall vibes to feel more like Thanksgiving vibes!
Season 4, Episode 9 “Ted Koppel’s Big Night Out”
Besides family and food, Thanksgiving is very much about football. This well-known episode occurs at the Yale–Harvard game, where the Gilmores host an extravagant tailgate, and Emily gets irrationally upset after learning Richard has secretly maintained annual lunches with his old flame, Pennilyn Lott. Their football gear gives the episode that extra special Thanksgiving feel, especially Emily’s “Harvard Go to Hell” button. Festive!
